The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-01-21

the county Indebtedness aggregated SS.Oj5 -
township, ea,65o.0 SO.9O; city, s2.sS7 4S5l7, and
school district, q, s4S7l4.5O. On the 1st of Jan
uary, 1851, this dreadful burden of local indebt
edness had increased to Sl9, 39s ST..
Here tabulated statement is given showing
that Of this amour. county, township and city
bonds to the amount OF &l20S,.OlS have been
voted and issued to railroads. and $1.3li,Ss3 for
all other purposes, making grand total OF
1889. S51. In addition, since January 1, 1885,
county, township and city bonds have been
voted. but not yet issued for railroads SILL H.
GOO, and for all other purposes 400. Total,
81 ,2222.O 00l
II all the bonds thus voted were issued the
municipal Indebtedness OF Kansas would be as
follows:
county ..S4. 5s36S1
S9 1850 -''-.'''''''''''''' o'sso'fos
School District. ............... ass 40
Total. SO 6I0 S51
1t Is hardly probable, however, that half of the
bonds now voted, but not yet issued, will ever
be earned But the aggregate of our municipal
Indebtedness. even if one-half OF the bonds
voted should never be issued, will exceed az,
oOo,OoO, and it seems to me time to put a stop,
firmly and thoroughly, to this wasteful extrava-
gance. Vast as are the resources of our State,
wonderful as its growth has been and bright as
its prospects are, neither the proiuctiveness
and development Of tine present nor the hopes Of
the future will justify q continuance OF such
reckless folly in bond-voting
RAILROAD BONDS.
1t will be observed that sl2 OS3 OIs of the bonds
already issued and $11 GOO of those voted but
not yet issued, have been voted to aid in build
ing railroads. This system OF bond-yoting to
build railroads began twenty years ago, ard
continued for nearly a decade. Then came q
period of business and industrial depression
followed by an area of attempted reputation,
the effects Of which are still lingering in the
courts. Three years ago another epidemic OF
railroad bOnd-voting broke out, and has since
spread throughout nearly every section CT the
state The most conservative communities
have yielded to the cOntagion, and the allah
sorbing ambition Of every county and town in
the State seems to be to secure railroads.
1t would not be just to deprive counties hav-
ing no railroads OF the powers other counties
have, thus far, exercised. But II all authority
to vote bonds in aid of, or take stock in rail-
roads was denied to any county now traversed
by one or more lines Of railway, no injustice
would be done, nor would the building of any
legitimate or needed line Of railway be retarded
or prevented. As long, however, rs counties,
townships or cities are permitted to vote bonds
for such purposes, just SO long will the bond
voting continue. One community will vote ad-
ditional indebtedness on itself because,i it does
not, it may lose advantages 1t has already
paid immense sums OF money to secure. In
this age railroads make and unnale cities
and towns, and hence flourishing community on
whose commerce and industries the prosperity
OF hundreds Of thousands Of people depend may
be destroyed by the building Of one or two rail
ways. Confronted by the alternative Of voting
bonds or Of seeing the Accommodations and labors
OF years destroyed the people, with or without
the approval of their judgment, vote the
bonds" They can not afford to do otherwise.
II is, on the one hand, the assumption of bur-
densome debt, or, on the other hand. the de-
struction Of all their hopes and, possibly, their
financial ruin.
OF railroads was revoked, except in counties
having no railway lines within their limits, this
bond-voting under duress would cease Such
railroads as the carrying trade Of the State will
support. and all lines demanded by legitimate
business interests would be built by honest
railway enterprise, without regard to local aid
Any other railroads than these are not and
never will be of advantage to the State. A
starving railroad is not q benefit is z curse to
the communities it prete1ds to serve. Because
such railways as these, or indeed. any lines OF
railroad in excess to the carrying trade of a
retard and prevent the establishment
of result in which all classes OF people are
most largely interested, viz: the speedy and
reduction of freights and fares to the
lowest possible limit.
1 am as anxious as any citizen can be that
every section Of our State shall be provided
with the most abundant transportation facili-
ties. But, in my judgment, Kansas long ago
passed that stage OF Development when q bond
voting stimulus was necessary to promote the
building Of any legitimate railroad.
ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION.
In my message to the Legislature OF 1859, a.
tention was called TO the serious defects in our
laws providing for the assessment and equaiiza-
ton OF property values for taxation. again
invoke attention to this subject, which is Of
vital importance TO the welfare of the State and
Its taxpayers. The present system is nctori-
ously inadequate to secure fair or Just cquali-
eaton of the burdens OF government. State or
local, and should be thoroughly and carefully
revised. Its defects were pointed out in my
message Of two years ago, and although some
legislation was haa ct that time looking 20 their
correction. the remedy was inadequate.
PUEBLO EDUCATION.
The report OF the State Superintendent OF
Public Instruction furnishes full information
the development OF our pubic school
system. The school population of the State
persons between the ages Of five and twenty |
me years-is now 491..SJ an increase of Ss.5S5 |
,yer 1884. The scholars enrol!ed number 3G5 3d.
IT increase OF 6I.63o during the same period |
The average daily attendance was sl9,a,s. an in
rease OF l2,'j9 1t will be observed that. not |
the ample educational facilities |
provided by the people OF Kansas for the edr- |
alton OF cur youth, less than one-half Of the |
chool population attends the public schools. |
'hese nsures, however, hardly serve as fair |
illustration OF non-attendance. Few parents |
eem II wise TO subject children under seven
ears OF age to the confinement or discipline Of
ne school room. and. except in few Of the